Media Day notebook: Injuries snowball for Gators

GAINESVILLE
-- So much for chemistry.

Florida
will kickoff Friday’s training camp without one-third of its starting offense,
coach Will Muschamp announced Thursday during UF’s annual Media Day in
Touchdown Terrance at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Muschamp
exited SEC Media Days on July 16 confident he had a healthy football team entering
the fall, but the situation has drastically changed in the weeks since.

Jones
-- an anticipated breakout star -- is out “indefinitely” with a serious viral
infection, and Muschamp could give no timetable on his return.

When
asked if Jones was discouraged or disappointed, Muschamp said, “10 percent of
life is what happens to you, 90 percent is what you do with it. There’s no
better kid in that locker room.”

As
for the Gators’ starting offensive linemen, Halapio partially tore a pectoral
muscle three days after attending SEC Media Days and will miss at least the
first week of camp. Florida’s senior guard will not need surgery but a
definitive return timetable won’t be determined until a doctor’s appointment
next Friday. Garcia, a Maryland transfer, is out due to a recurring back injury
(inflammation) and won’t be cleared for contact until Aug. 6.

Muschamp
did not seem overly concerned with the sudden rash of injuries, curbing any
potential gloom and doom by saying, “We’ll be fine. …I worry about the things I
can control. The guys that are on the field, we’re going to coach them hard and
we’re going to have a good football team. I can’t wait for tomorrow.”